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The '''Council of Liubech''' (sometimes referred to as the '''Liubech Conference)'''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gerasimov |first=Ilya |date=2023 |title=Political Ecology |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350196834.0005 |journal=A New Imperial History of Northern Eurasia, 600–1700 |pages=5–35 |doi=10.5040/9781350196834.0005}}</ref> ({{langx|uk|Лю́бецький з'їзд|a=Liubetskyy z’ïzd}}, {{Lang-rus|Любечский съезд|a=Lyubyechski cyozd}}) was one of the best documented princely meetings in [[Kievan Rus']] that took place in [[Liubech]] (today in [[Chernihiv Oblast]], [[Ukraine]]) on October 19, 1097.<ref name=":1" /> The council ended the {{Interlanguage link|Chernihiv war of succession|uk|Міжусобна війна на Русі 1094—1097|ru|Междоусобная война на Руси (1094—1097)}} (1093–1097) between [[Sviatopolk II of Kiev]], [[Vladimir II Monomakh]] and [[Oleg I of Chernigov]] who fought for the heritage of his father [[Sviatoslav II of Kiev]].{{sfn|Martin|1995|p=30–32, 55}}

[[File:I zjazady książąt Rusi Kijowskiej. Brąz, granit. 1997 Lubecz, Ukraina.jpg|thumb|Monument in Liubech (1997) by [[Giennadij Jerszow]]]]

The council, initiated by Vladimir Monomakh, brought together Sviatopolk II, [[Vasylko Rostyslavych]], [[Davyd Sviatoslavich]], Oleg I, and other Rus' princes. It aimed to stop the Chernigov war of succession,{{sfn|Martin|1995|p=55}} to pacify the people, and to present a unified front against the [[Polovtsy]] ([[Cuman people|Cumans]]). It resulted in the division of [[Kievan Rus']] among the princes, letting their immediate families inherit them. This broke a [[rota system]] (''lestvichnoe pravo'') that had been followed in Kievan Rus' for two centuries which saw the oldest son take the throne and was ruled by a succession of the eldest. Further, rulership of certain regions were never stable but shifted gradually upwards.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Состоялся Любечский съезд русских князей |url=https://www.prlib.ru/history/619643 |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Президентская библиотека имени Б.Н. Ельцина |language=ru}}</ref> 

As a result, each prince within Kievan Rus’ was given his principality as patrimonial domain.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Curta |first=Florin |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1111434007 |title=Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages (500-1300) (2 Vols) |date=2019 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-39519-0 |location=Boston |page=301 |oclc=1111434007}}</ref> 

Following the conference in the second-quarter of the 12th century, historical chronicles began mentioning local princes as the growing issue became the regularization of relations between local princes and their individual clan estates, or [[Principality|principalities]].<ref>Gerasimov (2023): 131.</ref>

== Allocation ==
The Council assigned/confirmed the principalities as follows:

* [[Sviatopolk II of Kiev|Sviatopolk II]] received [[Kyiv|Kiev]],{{sfn|Martin|2007|p=37}} [[Principality of Turov and Pinsk|Turov, Pinsk]], and the title of the Grand Prince.<ref name=":0">Gerasimov (2023): 106.</ref>
* [[Vladimir II Monomakh]] received [[Principality of Pereyaslavl|Pereyaslavl]],{{sfn|Martin|2007|p=37}} the [[Vladimir-Suzdal|Rostov-Suzdal]] lands, [[Principality of Smolensk|Smolensk]], and [[Beloozero]]. His son [[Mstislav I of Kiev|Mstislav]] received [[Great Novgorod]].<ref name=":0" />
* [[Oleg I of Chernigov|Oleg]], [[Davyd Sviatoslavich|Davyd]], and Yaroslav, both sons of [[Sviatoslav II of Kiev]] and deemed the "[[Izgoi|outcast princes]]," received [[Principality of Chernigov|Chernigov]],{{sfn|Martin|2007|p=37}} [[Tmutarakan]], [[Principality of Ryazan|Ryazan]], and [[Murom]].<ref name=":0" />

Of the remaining [[izgoi|"outcast"]] princes:

* David Igorevich, Prince of [[Volhynia]], received [[Volodymyr (city)|Volodymyr]].
* [[Volodar of Peremyshl|Volodar and]] [[Vasilko Rostislavich|Vasilko]] Rostislavich received [[Przemyśl|Peremyshl]], [[Principality of Terebovlia|Terebovl]], and Cherven.<ref>[http://history.franko.lviv.ua/IIl_1.htm Council of Liubech] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123153121/http://history.franko.lviv.ua/IIl_1.htm|date=2010-01-23}} at the Handbook on History of Ukraine.</ref>

== Result ==
This change effectively established a [[feudal system]] in Kievan Rus'.{{cn|date=August 2022}} It stopped the struggle for [[Chernigov]], but was not observed perfectly. After the death of Sviatopolk in 1113, the citizens of Kyiv revolted and summoned Monomakh to the throne. Nevertheless, the new dispensation allowed other principalities to consolidate their power and to develop as powerful regional centers: most notably [[Galicia-Volhynia]] and [[Vladimir-Suzdal]]. Further, the conference resulted in numerous policy developments including continued progress towards the Kievan Russian legal code known as the "[[Russkaya Pravda|Russian Truth]]" and the historigraphical chronicle known as "[[Initial arch|The Initial Code]]."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-17 |title=Любечский съезд 1097 |url=https://bigenc.ru/c/liubechskii-s-ezd-1097-60ed5e |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Большая российская энциклопедия |language=ru}}</ref>

Despite the conference's larger goal of uniting the Kievan princes against the [[Cumans]] (otherwise known as the Polovtsians), the feuding did not end between the princes and instead led to continued conflicts. The blinding of David Igorevich by [[Vsevolod I of Kiev]] acted as a catalyst for continued warring which led to Vladimir II to organize the [[Council of Uvetichi|Vytychiv Congress]] on August 10, 1100.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vytychiv congress of princes |url=https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CV%5CY%5CVytychivcongressofprinces.htm |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=www.encyclopediaofukraine.com}}</ref>

== Monuments ==

* 1997: Monument to the Lyubech Congress of Princes (Gennady Ershov, Ukraine)

==See also==

*[[List of Ukrainian rulers]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book | title=Christianization and the Rise of Christian Monarchy | url=https://archive.org/details/christianization00bere | url-access=limited | editor=Nora Berend | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location =[[University of Cambridge]] | year=2007 | page=[https://archive.org/details/christianization00bere/page/n408 393] }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Janet |date=1995 |title=Medieval Russia, 980–1584 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sRCc3TtL9bIC |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=450 |isbn=9780521368322 |access-date=24 August 2022}}
* {{cite book |title=Medieval Russia: 980–1584. Second Edition. E-book |last=Martin |first=Janet |url=https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/book/802816/medieval-russia-980-1584/janet-martin/ |year=2007 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-511-36800-4}}
* [http://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/1900553-kriza-vladi-na-rusi-shlyah-do-evropi-i-fart-kosigina.html Power crisis in Ruthenia]. [[Ukrinform]]. 20 October 2015

[[Category:11th century in Kievan Rus']]
[[Category:1097 in Europe]]
[[Category:Principality of Chernigov|Liubech]]